John sebo



UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica JOHN sEBO, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOSPITAL-BEDSTEADS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. l$5,782, dated July l,1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SEBO, of the city of Vilmington, in the countyof New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and ImprovedHospital-Bedstead; and I do hereby declare that the following is a fulland exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, making a part of this speeication, in which- Figure 1 is aside or front elevation, and Fig. 2 an isometrical view of the same.Fig. 3 is an isometrical view of the fan-table with end of its axis.

The nature of my invention consists in providing the ordinary bedsteadwith a movable frame supported and held in its proper or desiredposition by means of cords appended to rollers passing through groovesand over pulleys in each post, and not standing away from the p 0st,'and passing through rollers in a frame fastened to the top ofthe posts,as heretofore Y used or applied, so that the patient or sufferer,reclining or lying prone upon a ine canvas or sheet properly secured tothe frame, may be raised by means of a crank turning the roller to aheight necessary to attend to the calls of nature or renovating the bed,without disturbing the occupant.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and manner of its operation.

I construct my bedstead in the ordinary or any known forms, and applythereto the frame e, which I cover with a tine canvas moderately loose,to render it capable of yielding to the pressure of'the body upon thebed beneath. This canvas has an opening in it at n, for the purpose ofpermitting the patient to exercise and permit the habits of naturewithout any disturbance or moving of the body. To this frame e, I attachthe smaller frame g, covered with the same material as that of e, forthe purpose of raising the body to a sitting posture. To these frames(at each corner) I attach stout cords d d, which pass through grooves ineach post over the pulley-wheels c c c c, passing down the grooves andover and around. the roller b, to which they are fastened, and notstanding away from the post, and passing through rollers in a framefastened to the top of the posts, as heretofore used or applied, theframe e being raised by means of a roller set at h, and when not used inraising, and when the supportinglframe e is raised, a cord leading fromthe center of the roller b tothe bar on carries the cords attached tothe frame g up simultaneously with those of e. To retain these frames intheir places, I provide a ratchet-wheel and catch to each roller, with asafety-pin to that of b. When the body is to be raised, the light canvascovering of frame e requires strengthening, and to this end I providetwo bands of the same material, fastened vto the head of the framesecurely, and fastened to a roller set in the frame at fi. In tighteningthe bands n a, I use this roller 7o, which is for the purpose of bracingthe canvas ofe by means of the crank applied tothe ratchet t'.

I construct my frames of wood; but they may be also formed of iron, ifdeemed best. i I also attach a light table, p, to the foot-posts at q,which answers the double purpose of a table and fan, to use which as afan I insert a pliable peg in the axis of the table, connected with alike peg in the bed-rail by a strong cord, and by a slight pressure uponthe arms of the faut-able it at once produces a current of air so oftennecessary in the sick-chamber. This fan-table p is composed of thinwood, and fastcned by two arms, no, to the axis y, which is also ofwoodd furnished at each end with au iron gudgeon, which plays in thepost, and the iron ferrule 6, (shown at 2,) provided with a thickenedside or bearing, 2, for the purpose of keeping the table parallel to thebed. By means of the pin 1, I attach a stout cord to the peg 3,fastening the other end thereof to the spring et, which is inserted in ahole in the under part of the rail at w, so arranging the cord as tobring thetable to the required angle to use it as a fan.

Having thus described the construction of my bedstead, I will proceed toa description of the manner of treating a patient upon it.

The invalid we will suppose is lying upon the frame e, and desires to beraised to a sitting position for change or partaking of 4a meal. I applymy crank to Athe axle of the roller h at the head of the bed, andturning it, by means of the cords running over the pulleys, I raise himby the lesser frame g to the position shown by the dotted lines. He isat rest, and can then use the fan-table p, which when not required isreturned upon its axis to a longitudinal position at the foot of thebed.

If the patient or invalid desires to lie down, I merely reverse theroller with the crank, and his own Weight brings him gently upon the bedbeneath. If he desires to attend the calls of nature, all that isrequired is to tighten the canvas by using the roller k. Then by meansof the roller b he is raised from the bed by raising` the canvas andframe sufficiently high to allow the introduction of a vessel for thatpurpose, upon the withdrawal of which he is by the same means loweredupon the bed. In this occupation he may be either in a sitting orreclining posture, as choice may direct. When it is desirable torenovate the bed, by means of the roller b and its appliances he can beraised to the necessary height for that purpose-as high even as shown bythe dotted lines at g and e. The bed can then be made without disturbingthe occupant, and he or she be replaced thereon without even awaken ing,as has been already proved by actual operation.

I do not claim the principle of raising the patient by the cords andpulleys; but

lWhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The construction of hospital-bedsteads with groovedposts with pulleysset therein, as hereinbefore described, for the purpose of setting thecords out of the way of attendants.

2. The application of the fantable p to such bedsteads, in the mannerand for the purposes specified.

J OI-IN SEBO.

